An exclusive interview: USDA Secretary Mike Johanns: the new Secretary of Agriculture discusses the issues surrounding the meat and poultry industries with The National Provisioner.

Department of Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns isn't a newcomer to the agricultural industry. The son of a dairy farmer, he spent 18 years growing up and working on the family farm, and his passion for agriculture has carried over into his political career.

As the governor of Nebraska

from 1999 through 2005, Johanns was a strong advocate for rural communities, farmers, and ranchers. He signed into law the "Agricultural Opportunities and Value-Added Partnership Act," supported the development of a hydroponic produce facility, and led eight delegations of Nebraska government, business, and agricultural leaders on trade missions to foreign countries, including Japan, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, and Australia.

Since being appointed USDA Secretary on January 21, 2005, Johanns has worked to end the multi-nation border closure of American beef, along with restoring the import of Canadian beef into the United States. He has also proposed a National Animal Identification System (NAIS), saying that "a system that will allow us to pinpoint, track, and isolate threats to health is enormously important, and this issue is too important for us to get it wrong."

Here are the highlights of this exclusive interview with USDA Secretary Mike Johanns.

You come from a strong agricultural background. How has that prepared you for overseeing the USDA?

MJ: Well, the first thing was it gave me the right approach to life. Growing up on a dairy farm, you certainly learn discipline and a commitment to purpose. So from a personal side, it's a great preparation.

On the professional side, those 18 years on the farm instilled my love for agriculture. I've never gotten very far away from it, even though my professional life led me away from the farm. I ended up being the governor of a very ag state, Nebraska. I worked ag policy aggressively for those six years. That all started in the '50s and '60s with my background on the dairy farm.

What are your goals in working with the meat and poultry industries?

MJ: The meat and poultry industries are outstanding industries, and it's going to be a very natural fit for me. One of the things I would point out is the USDA does have regulatory jurisdiction over the companies involved in those industries. Our job is to ensure that meat and poultry products are safe, wholesome, accurately labeled for the benefit of the American consumers, and to make sure that they are in compliance with all federal laws.